Electrical system



Jan. 5, 1937. w, BINKEL 2,066,402

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Filed June 1, 1935 Vacuum C/eaner fi/o/br WITNESS V v INVENTOR I Dan/'e/ M4 ///'/2A e/. i zmag BY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical systems for household appliances and particularly to combinations of signaling devices, such as door-bells and lights, and sound-producing apparatus, such as radio receiving sets, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, ironing machines, etc.

It is a common occurrence to have visitors push ones door-bell button, the bell not being heard because of the operation within the house of a radio receiving set, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, ironing machine or other sound-producing apparatus at the time. Moreover, if the ringing of the door-bell is suspected and. the radio is turned off in order to listen, then the tubes get cold and possibly a very interesting part of the program is unnecessarily lost before the tubes can be reheated after again throwing the switch.

One object of my invention, therefore, is to provide apparatus for causing cessation of such sound-producing or other electrical apparatus whenever the door-bell button is pushed to ring the bell, such apparatus immediately and automatically resuming its normal operation as soon as the bell button is released. The value of my invention to deaf people or to those holding parties with considerable conversation or other noise going on, or in the case of a housewife being down the cellar operating the washing or ironing machine, is very obvious, inasmuch as the sound from the radio or washing machine, for example, is shut oif during the time that the door-bell button is pushed, so that the ringing of the doorbell may be clearly heard, or, in the case of very deaf people, the cessation of motion, light (or other result of the application of electrical energy) in the apparatus in use at the time that the door-bell button is pushed, will act as a signal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive auxiliary or accessory apparatus in the form of a small relay so connected to the door-bell and the radio receiving set, or the like, as to shut ofi such sound-producing apparatus only during the period when the button is pushed.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system embodying a radio receiving set and a door-bell coordinated in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partially diagrammatic and partially in elevation and section, showing the application of my present invention to a vacuum cleaner, and

Fig. 3 is a partially diagrammatic and partially sectional view of a modified form of relay which may be utilized in lieu of the relay shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 7

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, the system there shown comprises suitable electrical supply circuit conductors I and 2, which in the usual case will be the ordinary house 110-volt supply circuit, for energizing the windings of an ordinary bell-ringing transformer 3 for operating a doorbell 4 when a push-button 5 is operated, the system of Fig. 1 also showing a radio receiving set 6 and. a relay 1 for coordinating the operation of the door-bell 4 and the radio receiving set 6 in such manner that only one thereof may be operated at any one time, as subsequently described in detail.

The bell transformer 3, door-bell 4, pushbutton 5 and radio receiving set 6 may be of any well known type, the usual operating switch l0 being provided in the radio 6, and need no further description here. It should be noted, however, that the door-bell 4 is merely illustrative and that any other form of signalling device, such as a light, may be employed, if desired. Moreover, in lieu of the particular type of soundproducing apparatus shown as a radio receiving set 6 in Fig. 1, other sound-producing devices, such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, ironing machines, etc., may be utilized in coordination with the signalling device 4. The application of my invention to one of these other soundproducing devices, namely, a vacuum cleaner, is

illustrated in Fig. 2 and will be later described.

The coordinating device or relay 1 is shown as may be made in two parts Ila and ill), for example, suitably screwed or otherwise fastened together and containing a suitably insulated actuating coil l2 for operating a core or plunger i3 135 comprising a suitable casing or cover H which which is biased to the illustrated right-hand or circuit-closing position by means of a suitable spring l4 operating within a sleeve or hollow boss I5 integrally or otherwise secured to one end of the casing ll.

The free end of the core or plunger i3 is provided with a resilient contact finger or the like l6 mounted on a suitable insulating block I! for cooperating with a stationary contact member or terminal l8 mounted on an insulating block I9,

which is suitably secured to one member ill) of the casing ll. Four conductors, numbered 23 to 26, inclusive, enter the casing I I through suitable bushings 20. The connections of these conductors will shortly be described. It will be appreciated that the relay device 1 may be relatively small in size, inasmuch as it is called upon to handle only small currents, and could, therefore, be readily built in or otherwise incorporated within the box or casing of the radio receiving set 6, particularly as only two extra wires are required in addition to the ordinary wires to the radio, which extra wires, 23 and 24, are to be connected in the basement or elsewhere across the terminals of the door-bell 4. I t j It will be noted that the connections ofthe bellringing transformer 3, door-bell land push-button 5, therefore, are of the standard'character and that conductors Z3 and 24, leading to the terminals of the relay coil 12, are connected'in parallel relation to conductors 2| and 22leading to the terminals of the actuating coil of the doorbell 4, or, in other words, 'the relay 0011 I2 is shown as connected in parallel-circuit relation to the actuating coil of the door-bell '4. While thisis the preferable connection sinceno change is needed in the bell circuits, it would; of course, be possible to utilize my invention with the actuating coil 52 of the relay '1 in series circuit relation with the actuating coil of the door-bell 4. However, this, of course, wculd impressa lower voltage than normal on the standard-door-bell coil and, for this reason, the illustrated parallel connection is preferable. It will also be understood thatany suitable direct-current type of door-bell circuit may be utilized, if desired,- in lieu of the illustrated alternating current type of circuit. p

One of the wires leadingfrom the supply circuit to the radio receiving set 6 is divided into two conductors 25 and 26, conductor 25 entering one of thebushings 2E1 and being connected to the stationary contact member 18 within the relay ingof the door-bell l. ceiving set 6 is. silent while the bell is "ringing,

'1, while the other conductor illi e n'ters another bushing 2t and is connected to the movable contact member or finger iii. By reason of the spring [4 normally urging the plunger I3 into its'illustrated extreme right-hand position where contact members l8 and I6 engage each other, it is clear that under normal conditions the relay 1 interposes no changes in the circuit of the radioreceiving set, whichmay be operated in the usual manner by flipping the switch l; 1

However, when the push-button press'e-d, thereby supplying energyto the coil of the doorbell 4 from the bell-ringing transformer 3 in the ordinary manner, conductors 23 and Zlare also energized through the bell-ringing transformer 3 and push-button 5, thus energizing the actuating coil 12 of relay '1 to pull'plunger l3 to the left against the pressure of helical spring. "Consequently, movable contact member Hiis removed from engagement with stationary contact mem; ber l8, and the circuit to'the radio receiving set 6 is interrupted instantaneously with the first rlng= As a res'u1t,the' radio rethus permitting those in the housefto hear the bell as clearly as would be theicase if the radio receiving set had not been in operation. However, assoon as the usual short period of pressure on the push-button 5 is terminated, the circuit to the radio receiving set 6 is again automatically closed by reason of spring l4 urging'plunger l3 into its illustrated circuit-closing position .to

effect engagement between contact member's" l6 and I8, and the ra-dio'receiving'setwill immediately pickup the program again since, there has not been time for the tubes in the receiving set to grow cold. a

If a visitor sees fit to press the push-button more than once, the above-noted operations repeat themselves, so that the bell always rings without any sound from the radio receiving set occur-' the device which is in continuous use, such as the radio, is interrupted only during the precise period that the device which is in temporary use, namely, the bell, is operated.

It will be understood that the normally closed circuit to the radio illustrated in Fig. l, einbodying contact members I 5 and I8, may be replaced, if desired, by a normally open circuit which is closed when the door-bell rings to short-circuit the audio circuit to the loud speaker, for exam ple, and thereby effect the same result as the illustrated system, which, however,-is the pre-' ferred form in the majority of cases. I

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated the application of my invention to a motor-driven device which has been selected as a vacuum cleaner, although it will be obvious that the sametype of application may be made in connection with washing machines, ironing machines or other motor-driven appliances in the home.

A vacuum cleaner motor is diagrammatically illustrated at 30, it being understood that this representation is intended to beillustrative only and that any type of electric motor suitable for any given application may be utilized. A grip 3|, handle tube 32 leading to the vacuum cleaner motor casing (not shown) and switch 33 for starting and stopping the vacuum cleaner motor 30 are illustrated; all of thesemay be of a familiar type. As indicating the ready adapt ability and simplicity of my present invention when applied to a device of this general character, I have shown my relay device 1 as secured-to the tube 32 of the vacuum cleaner handle by means of right-angle metal strips 3 3, the respective legs of which maybe riveted or screwed to the tube and the casing H of relay 1, as will be readily appreciated. V

It will be noted that the vacuum cleaner motor 30 occupies the same position in thecircuit of Fig. 2 as the radio receiving set 5 does in the system of Fig. 1, so that it is unnecessary to completely illustrate the connections of the parts of the electrical portions of relay'l'. The illustratedshowing is believed to be adequate for the purpose in that conductors 23 and 24, as in Fig. 1, lead to the terminals of relay-coil l2, while conductors 25 and 26 lead from one terminal of the 'motor 30 and from one supply circuit conductor I to the cooperating contact members l5 and I8, 1

while conductor 2! leads fromthe other terminal of the vacuum cleaner motor 38 to the other .supply circuit conductor 2. V

opening in the wall of the tube andbeing incorporated in'a cable in conjunction with the two wires 26 and 21 leading from the supply circuit into thevac-uumcleaner switch 33 in -the ordinary way. It will be noted that these wires '26 and 21 are marked with a legend Across subply circuit, while the other conductors and 24 are marked with a legend Across terminals of door-bell. The necessary connections to these four wires may be made in any suitable manner which it is believed need not be described in detail here.

The operation of the vacuum cleaner apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 corresponds to the previously described operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, namely, operation of the vacuum cleaner motor 30 may be efiected in the usual way by merely flipping the switch 33 to its closed position, but upon operation of door-bell 4, the relay 1 operates to open the circuit of conductors 25 and 26, thus shutting ofi the operation of vacuum cleaner motor 30 to eliminate the sound produced by the vacuum cleaner during the period when the door-bell 4 is ringing. However, upon release of pressure from the pushbutton and consequent cessation of the ringing of the bell, conductors 25 and 26 are again connected together and the operation of the vacuum cleaner motor 30 is resumed.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of the relay 1 that is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the structure of Fig. 3 comprising a suitable casing 40 similar to the casing H of Fig. 1, within which is disposed a contactor 4! adapted to operate in a substantially vertical line and comprising an actuating coil 42, a core or plunger 43 and a contact disc or bridge 44 of a familiar type, which, in the normal or closed position of the relay, bridges stationary contact members 45 and 46 constituting terminals to which conductors 25 and 26 passing through bushings 20 are connected.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated position of relay 4| in Fig. 3 with a circuit completed between conductors 25 and 26 corresponds to the normally closed circuit between these conductors in Fig. 1, the biasing effect of gravity with respect to closing this circuit in the device of Fig. 3 corresponding to the pressure of spring [4 in the device of Fig. 1.

However, upon energization of actuating coil 42 of Fig. 8, the movable contact member 44 is raised, thus interrupting the circuit between conductors 25 and 26 in the same manner that the circuit is interrupted between contact members i6 and 18 in relay device 1 of Fig. 1 when its actuating coil I2 is energized.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided a relatively simple and inexpensive device of small dimensions which may be readily incorporated in or attached to a sound-producing apparatus, such as a radio receiving set, vacuum cleaner, washing machine or ironing machine, etc., for stopping the operation of such apparatus and, therefore, eliminating the sound produced thereby during the period when a signalling device, such as a door-bell, is operated. The advantages of this combination of apparatus are obvious and have previously been set forth in some detail.

While I have shown two different forms of my present invention, I do not desire to be restricted to the specific structural details or circuit connections illustrated herein, as various other modifications thereof may be efiected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an electrical sound producing device, of an electrical supply circuit, a door bell having an energizing coil, a bell switch for connecting said bell coil to said circuit, relay means connected with said bell circuit to be energized during the period that the bell is energized, a circuit including the electrical sound producing device controlled by said relay means, when the latter is energized, for opening the circuit to the sound producing device, whereby the sound emanating from said device is silenced during the period of ringing of the bell.

2. The combination with a radio receiver, of an electrical supply circuit, a door bell having an energizing coil, a bell switch for connecting said bell coil to said circuit, relay means connected with said bell circuit to be energized during the period that the bell is energized, a circuit including the radio receiver controlled by said relay means, when the latter is energized, for opening the circuit to the radio receiver, whereby the sound emanating from said radio receiver is silenced during the period of ringing of the bell.

3. The combination with a vacuum cleaner, of an electrical supply circuit, a door bell having an energizing coil, a bell switch for connecting said bell coil to said circuit, relay means connected with said bell circuit to be energized during the period that the bell is energized, a circuit including the vacuum cleaner controlled by said relay means, when the latter is energized,

'for opening the circuit to the vacuum cleaner,

whereby the sound emanating from said vacuum cleaner is silenced during the period of ringing of the bell.

4. The combination with an electrical sound producing device, of an electrical supply circuit, a door bell having an energizing coil, a bell switch for connecting said bell coil to said circuit, a relay having an actuating coil connected to said bell circuit for energizing said relay during the period that the bell coil is energized, a circuit including the electrical sound producing device, said relay being operably associated with said last named circuit for opening the latter while the bell coil is energized, whereby the sound emanating from said device is silenced during the period of ringing of the bell.

DANIEL W. HINKEL. 

